"The Nature and Positions of Satan and His Demons" is one study of a compendium of extensive and detailed biblical expositions of the doctrinal statement of The Association of Messianic Congregations.
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The third point of the AMC's doctrinal statementdeclares beliefs concerning Satan and demons, and the fourth, on the holy angels. Inasmuch as the Bible informs us that all angels were once holy, including those we now refer to as Satan and demons, we addressed our beliefs concerning the holy angels in our last study, and will now address our beliefs concerning Satan and demons.

We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, the Adversary of God. Satan is the originator of moral evil and the god of this world. He and his agents are active in blinding mankind to spiritual truth, inciting anti-Semitism and attempting to defeat believers. Believers can and should resist him by applying Scriptural truth. (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; 2 Corinthians 4:3,4; 10:3-5; Ephesians 2:1,2, 6:10-18; 1 Timothy 3:6; 2 Peter 2:4)

This study will demonstrate biblical support for the existence of Satan and his demonic host, describe their nature, and support the claims in the statement.

The word demon or demons is found about seventy-five times in the New Testament, and other designations are employed for them, as well. In no case are they presented as imaginary or fictitious, not even by the Son of God, Himself. In Mark 7:29, Jesus used the term quite literally:

And He said to her, For this saying go, the demon has gone out of your daughter.

Satan, too, is a demon, and he is mentioned numerous times in both testaments, as will be seen below.

Demons are angels; and everything that the Scriptures teach about the nature of angels - except for holiness - is true of demons. Demons are angels, but unholy ones; ones that have chosen to rebel against God and have retained their defiled, sinful nature since that time.

A simple definition of demon is: A demon is an unholy, rebellious, thoroughly depraved angel bent on destroying the plans, the works, and the people of God; indeed, all people.

innumerable company (Hebrews 12:22), and they are but two-thirds of the original number of holy angels. One-third (Revelation 12:3-4) of the original number joined Satan in his rebellion against God. Surely their huge number is made up of all three classes of angels: cherubim, seraphim, and the lowest rank of angels called, simply, angels.

As a foundational consideration, it is instructive to remember that there are rankings among the holy angels: the cherubim are the highest order, the seraphim are next, and the rank and file angels are next; and each functions in its own realms of service. It is also helpful to remember that the Anointed Cherubhad preeminence over all the other angels before his fall, and that Michael is the military commander over the rank and file angels (Revelation 12:7).

There are scriptures that refer to demon powers in various ways as over against powers of

flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). They are: Romans 8:38; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 1:21, 3:10, 6:12; and Colossians 1:16 and 2:15. Combining their designations from these scriptures, they are: principalities, powers in the heavenlies, world rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual wickedness in high places, thrones, dominions, authorities. This author has been unable to determine whether each of these designations can apply to all demons, or whether each refers to demons with particular assignments or levels of authority. Nevertheless, other passages do indicate that there are demons of greater and lesser authority.

1. Demon King and SubjectsOther scriptures clarify the picture somewhat. Matthew 12:24 and Luke 11:15 call Satan the prince of demons, Ephesians 2:2 refers to him as the prince of the powers of the air, and Revelation 9:1-11 states that the demonic horde that will ascend out of the bottomless pit during the Great Tribulation will have a king over them. This relationship between Satan and his demons will remain active until the end of the Great Tribulation, at which time he will be bound in the Abyss for a thousand years. It will likely be reactivated briefly at the end of the thousand years when he will be loosed "to deceive the nations" and gather them to battle against the Lord, after which he will be cast into the Lake of Fire and Sulfur prepared for him and his angels (Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10; Matthew 25:41).

Daniel speaks of the Prince of Persia (Daniel 10:13) and the Prince of Greece (Daniel 10:20), demon warriors who battled the archangel Michael.

Parenthetically, this causes one to wonder whether there might be a demon prince over all the world's governments. Would that include Israel? On the one hand, the same passage that speaks of the demon princes of Persia and Greece also names the holy angel Michael as the Prince of Israel. On the other hand, both in ancient times and in modern, Israel has had its share of demonic activity. In this regard it differs from no other nation. Note that Revelation 11:15 does not differentiate between Israel and the other kingdoms of this world:

The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ. And He will reign forever and ever.

In the future, the kingdoms of this world will come under the direct dominion of Christ; but for now, they are all under the dominion of Satan and his host. It just may be that Satan has assigned his own prince over Israel just as God has assigned His.

Thus far, we can conclude that there are at least three rankings of angels: Satan the king or prince, rulers over nation (designated in other ways, as well), and rank and file demons. It seems likely that, since there are demonic rulers over nations, there are rulers of lesser authority over cities and other municipalities, as well; but, to my recollection, scripture does not spell this out.

To sum up, there are three clear ranks of demons, and there may be more. In descending order of authority, they are: king or prince, rulers over nations, and all other demons. It is also possible that the original levels of authority granted to cherubim, seraphim, and rank and file angels are retained in the demonic realm. Satan certainly has retained his. Scripture does not appear to make demonic rankings any clearer than this.

Most of the attention in this study is given to Satan, not to his underling demons, because he is representative of all demons in his nature and goals. It must be understood, however, that the vast majority of all demonic activity is carried out by Satan's underlings, not by Satan himself. In common conversation, when it is said that Satan did a particular work, it almost always means that he was in charge of the work, not that he actually carried it out himself. It is like saying that Hitler killed six million Jews. It is understood that he, personally, did not do the killing, but that he gave the order for it, and that the hands-on work of killing was actually carried out by others under him in rank. Unless Scripture specifically identifies Satan personally as the one carrying out a specific activity, it should be assumed that that activity is carried out by one or more of his underling demons.

In the Scriptures, Satan is identified by various designations, including names, titles, descriptions and animal-like representations, which, in themselves, tell quite a lot about him. I felt it most instructive to sort these out under headings having to do with his original nature, his original positions, his present nature, and his present positions.

In reference to the one we commonly call Satan and the Devil, Scripture assigns him no negative designation in his original, sinless state, only positive ones. They are:

The Anointed Cherub.

Ezekiel 28:14 begins, You were the anointed cherub.... As to the nature of his spirit body, Satan was a cherub, and always will be.

Day-Star,

and Son of the Morning. These two designations appear in Isaiah 14:12: How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning!

The King James translates the original Hebrew word for

day-starinto the Latin Lucifer which, like other designations of Satan, including Satan itself, hides its meaning. What's more, the designation Lucifer has a most negative connotation, whereas the original Hebrew for Day-Starand Son of the Morninghave very positive ones.The only biblical designations that properly apply to Satan before his rebellion are Anointed Cherub, Day-Starand Son of the Morning. Day-Star has also been variously translated as Morning-Starand Shining-Star. According to Dr. Fruchtenbaum, "The correct title is day-star, son of the morning. The Hebrewemphasizes him as being the shining one. It emphasizes how he was in his original state:" (Fruchtenbaum, Dr. Arnold G. Radio Manuscript # 077, Satanology: The Doctrine of Satan. San Antonio: Ariel Ministries Press. P. 14.)

In addition to his special anointing, which we'll consider shortly, Ezekiel 28:12 reveals how he was

the shining one:Son of man, lift up a lament over the king of Tyre, and say to him, So says the Lord Jehovah: You seal the measure, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

He was

the shining one by virtue of his special anointing and by the fact that he was filled to angelic capacity with wisdom and perfection in angelic beauty.

2. The Original Positions of SatanThe Anointed Cherub that Covers. Ezekiel 28:14 begins, You were the anointed cherub that covers....In Ezekiel 10:1, we see the throne of God hovering above the cherubim; but in 28:14, we see the Shining One covering, or hovering above, or spread out over, the throne of God. His having been anointed shows that He was especially endowed by God for his breathtakingly glorious role as the covering cherub.

This title also reveals a second position held by this cherub. Cherubim are the highest order of angel, and this cherub was The Anointed Cherub, indicating that he had preeminence over all other cherubim and all the seraphim and rank and file angels, as well. In other words, he had preeminence over the entire angelic host.

Ezekiel 28:13b reveals yet another facet of his position as The Anointed Cherub that Covers: The workmanship of your tambourines and of your flutes was prepared in you in the day that you were created.

These musical instruments were

in him as he hovered above God, above theseraphim (Isaiah 6:2) and above the other cherubim (Ezekiel 10:1). It is the picture of a worship leader who led the entire company of angels in the worship of God.

To sum up, three positions are included in the title

The Anointed Cherub that Covers: 1. He hovered above the throne of God. 2. He had preeminence over the entire angelic host. 3. He led the entire company of angels in the heavenly worship of God.

3. The Present Nature of SatanSatan is not a red-skinned humanlike creature with a checkered jacket, horns, forked tail and pitchfork stoking up the flames of hell and tormenting its inhabitants. This is myth except for the fact that he'll be there.

This title is found in Matthew 6:13, John 17:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 and 1 John 5:18-19. According to Strong's, the Greek word for evil here is poneyros, which means evil in influence or effect. The title indicates that he is totally evil in everything he influences and does.

. This name of The Evil One is found over fifty times in the Scriptures, andmeans adversary.Because he is The Evil One, he is the adversary of God, His ways, His works and His people, and indeed, of all people. 1 Chronicles 21:1 shows an example of his adversarial stance against the people of God: And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.

b. His Goals1) Destroyer, Abaddon, Apollyon.This title appears in Revelation 9:11: And they had a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in Greek his name is Apollyon.Abaddon(Hebrew) and Apollyon(Greek) mean Destroyer. This Destroyer is named king over the horrible locusts of Revelation 9:1-10 that will ascend from the bottomless pit. These "locusts" were actually demons, and Destroyer, their king, is most likely Satan. (The high ranking demons over Greece and Persia were called princes, not kings [Daniel 10:13, 20]). Destroyer speaks of his efforts at destroying God's plans, works and people.

Found in Matthew 4:3 and 1 Thessalonians 3:5, this designation shows Satan as the one who entices people to sin. Matthew 4:3: And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

.This designation is found in Revelation 12:9, in which Satan is called, the deceiver of the whole world, showing him as the one who, by deception, deceives the great mass of humanity into rejecting God and His ways. As often as he is able he even deceives believers into rejecting God's good counsel, which is why Ephesians 6:11 exhorts us to stand against the wiles of the devil.

.Found in 2 Corinthians 11:14, this designation shows that Satan carries out the work of deception by offering appealing counterfeits of true moral and spiritual understanding, of which this kosmos abounds in its legion of false religions, philosophies, beliefs and opinions.

Devil means Accuseror Slanderer, and declares the chief way he seeks to cause division between God and His people, and between God's people. It is used only in the New Testament, and is found there thirty-five times.

Satan is depicted as a serpent in about ten places in the Bible, most notably in Genesis 3:1, the first reference to him in Scripture. This depiction brings to mind his cleverness and cunning in deception, as in his temptation of Eve: Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made.

. Satan is portrayed as a dragon in Revelation 12, emphasizing the great power and ferocity he employed in his attempt to devour the Child of the woman (Revelation 12:4; Matthew 2), and will employ to destroy the woman, Israel, who gave birth to the Child (Revelation 12:13).

This title is found in Ephesians 2:2, and likewise shows that Satan, who presently abides in the atmosphere, is the ruler of his subordinate powers of the air, the demons, who also abide in the atmosphere.

This designation appears in John 12:31, 14:30, and 16:11. In each case, the Greek word for world is kosmos, which refers to our world system in regards to its prevailing satanic spirit and the way that it's consequently arranged and conducted, as opposed to the spirit of the Kingdom of God and the way that it is arranged and conducted.

3) The King of Babylon.This title is found in Isaiah 14:4 and, viewed in the context of verses 4-17, metaphorically portrays Satan as in control of all worldly kingdoms.

This title is found in Ezekiel 28:11-12 and, viewed in the context of verses 11-19, likewise metaphorically portrays Satan as the demon king of all earthly kingdoms.

5. Views Concerning Satan1) Belial.Belialis found in 2 Corinthians 6:15, and means worthlessness. It describes Satan's net value in God's eyes in terms of his ability to be or do anything good. Nevertheless, Scripture reveals that he, as well as the other demons, are worthy of respect, even as criminals about to be executed are normally handled with dignity in countries having a biblical heritage. Note Jude 1:8-9:

8. Yet in like manner these dreamers [false and immoral teachers] also defile the flesh, despise authority, and bring a railing accusation against [angelic] dignities. 9. But Michael the archangel, when disputing with the devil over the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a railing accusation against him, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Similarly, 2 Peter 2:10b: They are presumptuous, self-willed, not trembling when they speak evil of angelic glories.

In reference to the Jude passage, Adam Clarke notes, "It was a Jewish maxim, as may be seen in Synopsis Sohar, page 92, note 6: 'It is not lawful for man to prefer ignominious reproaches, even against wicked spirits.' (See Schoettgen)"

This is a principle which the author has seen flagrantly violated by people who ought to have known better.

Beelzebubmeans Lord of the Flies, and is found in Matthew 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; and Luke 11:15, 18, 19. It is a comical term for Satan employed by the rabbis of Jesus' day. Beelzebubis a play onBeelzebul, the Greek form of the original Philistine name, which means Lord of the Royal Palace.

If you are not a Christian, I respectfully ask you to consider my appeal.

The Bible says that if you have not invited Jesus into
your life to be your Savior, you are in the grip of the Devil, though you may
not realize it. Satan does not always come as a roaring lion. Sometimes he comes as an angel of light.
He is the Arch Deceiver. You may think that he does not exist, or that
you have power over him, or can control your dabbling in the occult if that
is the case with you. Yet, Scripture - even Jesus Himself - affirms that he
does exist and that you have no power over the him if you are not one of
Christ's; and that when you die, you will die with your sins unforgiven, and
will be cast out of God's holy presence and into Hell.
This is grievous, but eternal, truth.

Believing in Jesus is
winning the ultimate and eternal victory. God sent Jesus from Heaven to die
as a sacrifice for your sins upon the cross. He then raised Him from the
dead to live with Him in Heaven
once again so that He might fill you with Christ's resurrection victory and eternal life.
Here on earth you will know His presence, His guidance, and victory over the
Devil's temptations and grip; and when you die, you will be with Him in
Heaven.

What is required of you? No penance and no amount of
righteous living can wash away your sin. Simply admit to God that you are a
sinner, and believe:

All have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God.

~ Romans 3:23 ~

16. God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal
life.
17. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the
world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not
believe has been judged already,
because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son
of God.

~ John 3:16-18 ~

He Himself bore our
sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin
and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

~ 1 Peter 2:24 ~

9. If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in
your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10. for with the heart a person believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in
salvation.
11. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE
DISAPPOINTED."

~ Romans 10:9-11 ~

The word of the cross
is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God.

~ 1 Corinthians 1:18 ~

I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it
is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

~ Romans 1:16 ~

20. Therefore, we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg
you
on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21. [God] made
[Christ] who knew no sin to be sin
on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God
in Him.

~ 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 ~

Ask God to show you if this is true. If your heart is quieted and you will
listen to His Word within your spirit, you will hear. Then simply welcome
Jesus into your life to be your Savior. God will forgive you for your sins
and you will be filled with the Holy Spirit, Who will make your spirit
eternally alive in Christ, and you will be His forever.

With all the love of One who went to the cross for you, Jesus said,Let
your hearts be turned from sin,
and have faith in the good news.